Darker Sides
by galvitrox
Summary: Almost two years after the movie takes place, Nick and Judy find themselves in a heavily frowned upon relationship. After Judy is captured due to her past demons, she must show her darker side to survive, and Nick must show his to get her back
1. Chapter 1

Darker Sides

By: Galvitrox

His alarm went off at five-thirty in the morning, and it was quickly answered by a the paw of a red fox. The fox sighed deeply, not wanting to get out of bed quite yet. Reason one, it was cozy. Reason two however was laying right next to him. He smiled, thinking about his good fortune. Nick Wilde had been many things in life. A delinquent, a con-artist, and now a police officer in precinct one of Zootopia. After hustling mammals out of their money for a little over ten years, becoming a cop was the last thing on his list to do. Hell, it wasn't even on the list. Until a certain bunny came along. Judy Hopps, the first rabbit police officer, jumped into his life and turned it upside down for the better. A voice interrupted his train of thought.

"Whatcha thinkin about?" He turned to look at the very same bunny, lying next to him in bed.

"Just how much you changed my life" She smiled

"And how would that be?"

"Oh, I don't know. You made me happy, got me a legitimate job, and gave me the best group of friends a fox could ask for in the form of the ZPD"

"You're such a sap" He widened his eyes, as if offended

"Me? A sap? How dare you" giggling, the rabbit jumped out of the bed, completely naked. She looked back at Nick, now slackjawed, and rolled her eyes.

"Almost a year of this, and you still act like it's the first time"

"You haven't become any less beautiful over the course of the year. If anything, that butt has gotten rounder from all the criminal chasing"

"No, Nick. That would be from squatting" He smirks at her

"From squatting weights, or on this d-"

"Don't say it." He gave his half lidded smile

"Say what" Nick could almost feel those violet eyes bore into his soul with the glare she gave him.

"Alright Carrots, no need to get so worked up."

"Oh, i'll show you worked up. Join me in the shower" The foxes eyebrows shot up

"In the morning? We're running late" Judy had never been late. Not once. The only time she even got close was when they spent their first night together over a year ago, and that was because she forgot to set the alarm at Nick's apartment after their "activities".

"Yes in the morning. That way we can wash at the same time. I can let out some of my "worked up" on your fur"

"Oh, I see" Nick said in the most disappointed voice he could muster. Her eyes almost rolled out of their sockets

"Love you" She called as she strolled into the bathroom. Nick smiled. He would never get tired of hearing those words from that bunny. After a brief hesitation, Nick followed her into the bathroom. After he stepped into the steaming shower, he embraced her

"Love you too, Carrots"

* * *

"Oh shit"

"What?" Judy turned to see Nick staring into their toiletry cabinet

"We're out of scent-away" For the third time that morning, her violet eyes rolled.

"So? We showered"

"Yeah, but I can still smell you on me"

"Nick, you're a fox, of course you can" He leaned in and sniffed Judy

"I can smell me on you, too"

"Stop being so paranoid" It was his turn to glare at her

"Wolford will be able to tell"

"Nick, I'm pretty sure Wolford has known since day one" she stressed the last word. Nick looked incredulous.

"He didn't start making his comments until a couple weeks later"

"Maybe he was waiting to make sure. I don't know. It doesn't matter when he found out. " she eyed him curiously

"Wait, if you knew Wolford knows, why are you worried he'll be able to tell?"He threw up his paws

"I don't know" She sighed, exasperated "If I can't smell you, Bogo can't. End of discussion"

"Whatever you say, Fluff"

* * *

The two quickly got into their uniforms and sped off to work in their "new" Supawru. It was new to them, but already had almost 100,000 miles on it. However, they got it for a good price. And it ran well. The ride was mostly quiet, which was unusual. The two usually joked and bantered with each other on the way to work, fueled by their morning coffee. Today, they both just sipped silently. Nick could tell something was on Judy's mind, and he had a good idea about what it was. They had been discussing it for the past couple of months. He decided on a preemptive strike "Carrots, we can't t-"

"We have too, Nick."she said, cutting him off. Nick's ears flattened slightly at her tone.

"No we don't, we're doing fine so far." He mumbled

"Are we? Because Wolford, Delgato and Fangmeyer know." She hesitated "And i'm pretty sure Clawhauser is on to us too" The foxes emerald eyes widened in a mix of surprise and fear

"We're done. You're done, i'm done. We're both done."

"No we're not"

"If Ben knows, we are. That cheetah won't be able to keep his muzzle shut. You know that."

"The other three kept quiet"

"Hopps, This is Benjamin Clawhauser we're talking about"

"Ok, you're right"

"What makes you think he knows?"

"He's been looking at me strangely. Leaning in a little bit closer when we talk. He mentioned something about me smelling "awfully musky" " Nick sighed. It sounded he was a little more than "onto us"

"Maybe we could talk to him. Like we did with Delgato and Fangmeyer" Wolford was a good enough friend that they trusted him not to tell.

"Nick, even if he agreed, he would let it out accidentally. His heart's in the right place, but his mouth is in another"

"Yeah, in a box of donuts" Even in the intensity of the situation, she had to stifle a laugh. Nick's eyes twinkled a little, but he still sighed in defeat.

"Alright. We'll tell him together. Better he hear it from us rather than by word of mouth"

"That's exactly what I was thinking"

"I hope we know what we're doing, Carrots" He looked into her amazing violet eyes.

"So do I" was all she said.

* * *

They walked into the ZPD with a sense of dread. Outside of the three, maybe four officers, nobody knew. Not even Judy's parents knew she was living with Nick. He was her partner, roommate and, most importantly, soulmate. Her parents were none the wiser. She wasn't sure which was going to be more terrifying, telling Bogo or her Parents, but she was about to figure out what the first would entail. The bunny and fox stepped into the elevator, and the ride up seemed to take hours. Nick eyed her.

"You ok Carrots?"

"Of course. We're only about to tell our boss we're in a serious relationship, which is explicitly against the rules. What could go wrong" The fox smirked, trying to hide his fear. Judy had grown familiar with his "sly fox" facade over the year they had been together. Although he was no longer a con-artist, he had kept the personality.

"There's no reason to be afraid" She looked at him, trying to determine if he was joking or not

"There's three reasons to be afraid"

"And those are?"

"One, we're fired for being in a relationship on the force. Two, we're publicly shunned if word of our not only inter-species, but predator-prey relationship gets out." He had to raise his eyebrows at her for the second one. She made eye contact

"What? We're not exactly your everyday cops. We're famous, Nick. That would make headlines" The elevator door opened, and they scanned for ears on the upper level before continuing

"I guess you're right. Go on"

"Third, we're forced to separate because being in a predator prey relationship is too dangerous." the third one sent a bolt of fear through Nick's heart, but he quickly composed himself"

"Well, me being the genius that I am, have an answer for all 3 of your worries" Her ears visibly perked up, and he somehow found himself becoming more relaxed.

"First, I quit the force" She looked at him in shock

"What do you mean?"

"Being a cop was always your dream, fluff. I enjoy it, but it's your passion. He can't terminate us for canoodling on the force if i'm not officially on the force"

"He could terminate us for previously canoodling on the force" Nick froze

"He could?"

"No, that was actually a nice loophole you found yourself there, slick" He chuckled at her joke

"Sly bunny"

"Dumb fox." she said, completing their usual name calling

"What about the other two" she asked

"Second, I don't care what others think of us. I don't think you do either." She hesitated, thinking

"You're right. I would take all the hate in the world to be with you"

"You know it" He said arrogantly. She lightly punched his arm

"And third?"

"Hate crimes like that are unheard of these days, but I wouldn't let anything happen to us"

"That's not your choice"

"Oh, but it is. I would end anybody that tried to hurt you" after hearing the steel in her mates voice, she decided to leave it at that. She had only seen nick angry once, and that was after she almost singlepawedly destroyed the predator population. And that was more out of hurt than anger. Stopping in their tracks, they both looked up at the massive door. Gingerly, Nick knocked.

"Come in" Nick reached up as high as he could and turned the knob. They both entered the room as the chief put down a book and took off his glasses.

"What is it?" said the large buffalo, getting right to the point. Judy and Nick both hopped up on a single seat, using it more like a small bench.

"Officer Hopps and I have something to tell you, Chief"


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I didn't throw a note in part 1, because I honestly didn't think it was going to be read under the already gigantic pile of existing fanfiction. But, to my surprise, It was favorited a few times. So, my plan is to update this story probably every other day. The length of the chapters won't be long, but they will progress the stories at a decent pace, because I suck at writing filler. Reviews are very welcome. The first 3 or 4 chapters are going to be fluff/humor. After that, prepare yourself for some dark shit. That being said, enjoy part 2. It literally continues right where part 1 left off.

"Well, go on then" Said Bogo. The large mammal sitting before them wore his usual expression. An unreadable mixture of annoyance and boredom. Steeling himself, Nick took a deep breath. "Officer Hopps and I have mated for life" The fox spoke so fast you could barely tell what he was trying to say. The large buffalo just stared.

"This is going to sound cliche, but, I know" His deep voice lacked the anger both Nick and Judy were expecting. They looked at each other in confusion, then back to their superior.

"Wait, what" She said

"I know you've been more than just partners on the ZPD"

"How?" In their two years there, neither Nick nor Judy had ever seen Chief Bogo look uncomfortable. Until now.

"You, uh...ah…ahem, you see, this is going to sound a little creepy" The mates looked at each other in dread. This was not going to be good

"Remember the Lioness case?"

"Of course. We had to look over that video dozens of times to identify the aggressor" Said Nick

"What was the video caught on?"

"A dashcam" They could see where this was heading

"Do you remember where you watched it?"

"If i recall correctly the computer system was down for maintenance" his eyes widened "So, we took it to my apartment, to watch it on my tv." The dashcams were storage devices. They didn't actually have screens. Nick continued

"After we figured out what happened, we copied the video onto a flash drive and deleted the recording on the dashcam. We never turned it back on" the Chief coughed uncomfortably

"Actually, you did. You see, the dashcams are usually wiped every morning. After wiping, they're set up to turn back on to be ready for patrol." Judy gaped

"No"

"I'm afraid Yes"

"You watched us!" The buffalo's ears could be seen turning red through his fur

"No no, of course not. It was, unfortunately, turned towards the wall" He paused "that came out wrong" Nick was trying to hold in laughter at this point. Judy, however, was mortified.

"What did you see?"

"I, uh, heard, noises"

"Noises?" The buffalo just nodded, looking traumatized. Nick finally broke, his laughter filling the room.

"What kind of noises?" she demanded

"Oh, hmm. I wonder what noises they could have been, Carrots." She glared at her partner, whose sides were currently in orbit. They were not looking very professional right now.

"Probably wasn't us fixing up dinner. That's for sure" He wheezed. The fox was having a hard time breathing at this point. He remembered _Exactly_ what they did that night. The Chief did too. Those moments where he finally realized what was going on would be forever burned into his memory.

"Wilde, compose yourself" Struggling, the officer managed to sit up straight, albeit still out of breath. An awkward silence followed, and Judy felt the need to restart the conversation

"Chief, what did you hear, and why did you wait so long to tell us? The Lioness case was over five months ago"

"I'm not going to go into detail, Hopps. I heard two mammals being madly in love. I'm going to leave it at that, and it is never going to come up again" He eyed Nick

"Of course, sir" Nick said, now fully in control of himself.

"As for why I waited, I was waiting for you to come to me"

"Why?" She asked. The Chief shrugged

"I studied you over the course of those five months. Trying to tell if your romance would affect your performance" The partners held their collective breath, and the buffalo let our one of his rare grins.

"Lucky for you, you did just as well as before. If not better"

"And that means…" Said Nick, obviously in need of an answer. The buffalo sighed.

"The way I see it, you two have done a phenomenal job of keeping your professional and private lives separate. I see no reason to do anything" Nick and Judy beamed at each other, relief filling their expressions. The buffalo leaned forwards

"However, it would do you both well to keep this private. The public still has a long way to go before accepting Pred-Prey relations. Hell, they just legalized interspecies marriage four years ago" The mates nodded, more than aware of how the world felt about their love. The Chief looked them both over again, amazed by their chemistry together. Before he dismissed them, he felt the need to ask.

"Do you realize how rare your relationship is, Officers?" They glanced at each other, surprised by the question

"Very" said the rabbit. The Chief nodded.

"Yes. Very. As far as marriage statistics tell us, same species is eighty percent of relationships. Interfamily relationships (meaning fox/wolf, lion/jaguar) takes up another seventeen. Interspecies is the last three. Out of that last three percent, do you know how much of it is pred-prey?" they both shook their heads

"Only 5 predator prey marriages have been officiated. Ever. With that knowledge in mind, you're both dismissed. Keep it professional..." He let out another one of his rare grins "WildeHopps" The fox and rabbit both groaned simultaneously, saluted, and made for the door. After Judy left Nick perked his ears up, remembering something

"Oh, Chief"

"Yes Wilde?"

"Could you let Clawhauser know to keep this quiet?"

"Sure thing, Wilde. Oh, and keep your eye on her. These fanatics have been growing bolder lately" The fox saluted his superior, knowing what he was talking about

"Yes sir" With that, his tail disappeared through the door. Chief Bogo put his spectacles back on, relieved by the return of the quiet. He gingerly picked up what he had been reading. A report. The folder was large, and contained information on 23 currently missing mammals. All prey. All believed to have been taken, and eaten, by a cult known as the Neo-Predators.


	3. Chapter 3

The day went by fairly uneventfully. A couple of speeding tickets, and a paw fight that got out of hand. Wolverines and badgers could become downright vicious with little provocation. On their way home, Nick was the first to speak.

"I don't think that could have gone any better" Judy nodded

"Yeah, only a couple minor scratches on each of us. I remember the last time I had to restrain a wolverine I ended up needing stitches" Nick chuckled

"Only three. Anyways, I wasn't talking about work"

"Oh, I see. You're right. Bogo went very well."

"Do you think your parents will take it that well?" Nick said casually. Judy hesitated, surprised by the turn in the conversation.

"Nick, i'm not sure how my parents will take the news.

"We need to tell them, Hopps. Before we take this any farther" Judy once again hesitated, but she knew exactly what he meant.

"Farther how?" She inquired. The fox shrugged, trying to keep it cool.

"Nick, you're talking about marriage" He felt his heart leap in his chest at the word.

"Yeah, I guess I am"

"If you were to ask me right now, I would say yes" Nick sunk into his seat, unsure of how to reply.

"Now isn't exactly the time or place to propose, Carrots" He mumbled "but tomorrow, I was thinking that we maybe both go out to _The Savannahrie_ , for dinner" He paused once again, realizing how obvious it sounded. He groaned and dragged a paw down his face "So much for the surprise" Judy, feeling his disappointment, took a paw off the wheel and placed it on his leg. She looked into his eyes, putting on the best oblivious face she could muster

"What surprise? I don't know what you're talking about" Nick couldn't help but smile

"Eyes on the road, Carrots" he took the paw on his leg into his. They both knew exactly what Nick had planned at the nicest restaurant in the Savannah district, but it didn't matter. The mates had known this was coming for months. Nick steered the conversation back towards their last obstacle

"So, about your parents…"

"We'll tell them tonight" Nick squeezed her paw in response

"You sure?"

"Yeah, we might as well get this all over with in one day"

"I don't know how much more of this I can take" He said in mock exhaustion. Judy laughed

"Well, worst case scenario, they don't approve and we stay together anyways" She said it as a fact. She wouldn't leave her fox no matter what her parents had to say. The thought made him uncomfortable

"or I drive a wedge between you and your family" She eyed Nick, and could tell this was genuinely worrying him. The foxes ears were flat, and his emerald eyes weren't as bright as they usually were. It was her turn to squeeze back.

"Nick, my parents like you. You've been to the Burrow three times, and every time they've made you right at home. The kits call you "Uncle Nick" You're basically family" Nick relaxed a little, knowing it to be true. Judy continued, seeing the effects on him "They know we're best friends, and they know you've saved my life. Hell Nick, you showed them the scar where you took a bullet for me. If that doesn't convince them, I don't know what will" The fox huffed in amusement

"A .22 is hardly a bullet. More like a bb gun, Carrots" He had been back in action only three days after the bullet had lodged in his shoulder

"To a fox maybe. I've seen many small mammals killed by things more harmless than a .22" Nick know all too well how fragile Judy was. Which was exactly why he had taken that bullet. A bump shook them from their conversation as she finally pulled into their driveway. As she turned the car off and pulled the keys from the ignition, Nick kissed her. It wasn't sexual, but merely for comfort. He broke away, and Green clashed with Purple.

"Alright, Fluff. Let's do this"

* * *

Judy's finger hovered over the call button. The words "Mom & Dad" were highlighted at the top of the screen. Nick looked at the phone as if it were pure uranium. They had both changed out of their uniforms, and agreed they were ready to make the call. She couldn't help but smile at the look on Nick's face as she held it there. He finally spoke

"What are you doing?"

"Leaving you in suspense" He glared at her

"Cruel and unusual punishment has, if I remember correctly, been against the law since this country's conception" She laughed

"Oh shut up. Just trying to lighten the mood is all" She finally hit the call button, and they both involuntarily tensed. Her parents answered after the third ring, looking worried.

"Judy, what's wrong?" Said her mother. Her father was in the background, struggling to get a good look at what was going on

"What? Nothing's wrong. Why?" Her parents both sighed in relief

"In the two years you've been in Zootopia, you've never called us. We've always called you" Judy furrowed her eyebrows. Had she never initiated a call with her parents? She was shaken from her thoughts as her parents addressed Nick

"Hey Nick, What's up!" Her father said

"Hey, -"

"Oh please, call me Stu" Nick smiled at his friendliness

"Well, Stu. Judy and I have something to tell you" He kept his voice as lighthearted as he could. Her parents looked at them expectantly. He and Judy both opened their mouths to speak, and froze. Nick's heart was racing.

"Well, what is it?" Bonnie said. The rabbits smiles had faltered, realizing something was worrying them

"Judy, whatever is going on, you can tell us" said her father. Steeling herself, their daughter took a deep breath, and let it out all at once

"Nick and I are mated" They both looked at her parents, holding their collective breath. Bonnie and Stu looked at the phone, at each other, then back at the phone. After what seemed like hours, Her father broke the silence.

"Nick, as in Nick the fox?" his expression wasn't sad or mad, just confused.

"Yes"

"The Nick sitting right next to you?" Nick's heart dropped to his feet

"Yes"

"You officially mated?" Judy's ears grew warm

"Yes"

"Did he-" Bonnie squeezed herself into the picture, silencing her husband.

"Judy, Nick is a Canine!" While her father sounded confused, her mother sounded...amazed?

"Yes, Mom, he is?"

"Did he do the thing Canines do?" Judy looked at Nick, and he shrugged

"What do you mean mom?"

"For a Canine to mate for life, they have to tie with-" It was at that very moment, Judy died a little bit inside. She looked to her partner for help, but he appeared to be dying of embarrassment

"Mom! We...yes. We did." Her mother beamed

"Oh honey, that's beautiful! Stu, our daughter is officially mated for life!" There was something hidden behind her joy for them. Was that arrogance? Her father finally snapped out of his stupor, and mumbled under his breath. He grinned widely and handed Her mother a wad of money. Judy just stared at them.

"Dad, what was that?"

"That was me paying up" Bonnie beamed at him, fanning herself with the money

"For what?"

"We had a little bet going on, whether you two would end up together" Nick's jaw dropped, and Judy felt her cheeks grow warm again.

"You bet on us! You knew!"

"Well, we had an idea" Said Stu

"It couldn't be casual dating or anything. Had to be official" Judy put her face in her hand, ready to die out of sheer embarrassment for the second time that day

"Which is why you asked if we-"

"Yep"

"What tipped you off?"

"One time, when we called, we could see a reflection of Nick in your mirror. Hiding behind the bed. Naked" Judy flopped back on the bed, giving up. A dashcam had given them away to Bogo, and a video call to her parents.

"Sooooo" Said Nick, picking up the phone "does that mean we have your approval?" Her parents looked at them, the joy apparent in their faces

"Nick, you may be a fox" he winced, preparing for the worst "but that doesn't change the fact that you're a perfect fit for our daughter" said Bonnie

"Exactly. And don't cheat on her, keep her safe, blah blah blah, i'll find you if you hurt her, so on and so forth" said Stu. It was clear to him however, that he didn't have to worry about any of that when Nick was concerned. Nick smiled at them both, tearing up a bit.

"You've got my word sir. I love your daughter, and i'll do anything to keep her safe"


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Hello followers. The time has come. Things are about to take a turn for our favorite couple. This chapter is going to be a bit longer, since I haven't updated in a few days. Enjoy, and leave comments!

* * *

Nick awoke groggily, his eyes scanning the bare walls of their apartment. He glanced at his nightstand, and at the clock resting on top. It read Nine twenty-seven. Sighing in satisfaction, he rolled onto his other side to see Judy already awake, looking at something on her phone. Nick smiled at the look of concentration in her eyes. Whatever she was looking at was important.

"Boo" Nick said softly. Startled, she turned to Nick. He made note that she was keeping her phone facing away from him .

"Oh, good morning" She said innocently

"Mornin to you too. What're you looking at?" Judy flicked her eyes left and right, debating on whether to tell him. She decided there was no point in keeping it a secret.

"Just something to wear out tonight"

"Ooh, can i see?" The nosy fox began reaching for the phone, but his hand was quickly slapped away

"Ow" He said, pain showing in his expression. Judy rolled her eyes.

"Don't be such a kit. The outfit's a surprise"

"I see. I assume you'll be using the day off to go shopping then?"

"Only for the one item" She paused, considering "maybe two" Nick snorted.

"Just don't drive us bankrupt, Carrots" She smirked at him, her purple eyes twinkling in amusement

"Wanna come keep an eye on me then?"

"As much as a I "love" shopping, wouldn't that ruin the surprise?" Her face fell.

"Right. Duh." Nick saw the expression, and pulled her to him until their furry chests were pressed together.

"I know how much it will kill you to be separated from this charming fox for a few hours-" She lightly punched him "But, i've got some things i've got to take care of as well" He said.

"Like what?" She inquired

"It's a surprise" Her heart fluttered a bit at that. She had a few Ideas on what he was gazed into his emerald eyes for a few moments and, without further hesitation, kissed him. Nick responded by pulling her tighter against him, and she giggled, breaking the kiss.

"You're going to crush me at this rate"

"I'm sorry, I just can't help it" He said with his signature grin.

"You bunnies are just so soft and fuzzy-wuzzy" to emphasize his point, he began stroking one of her ears. He knew fully well the effect this had on her. She gasped, and the fox chuckled as a shiver passed through her body. With a grin, she rolled on top of him.

"Nick, don't start what you don't intend to finish" She said seductively

"Oh, I have every intent of finishing this, fluff"

* * *

Afterwards, they both lay there. Completely content. Judy was the first to calm her breathing. She looked over at her Fox, and took her gaze all up and down his body. He was beautiful in every sense of the word. His time at the academy had toned the muscles under his fur. His face was one of a lighthearted and caring person. But his eyes were by far his most distinct feature. They shone a bright emerald-green, a complete contrast to her violet ones.

"You're staring, Carrots" She shook herself from her thoughts and looked into his eyes. He smirked at her

"Didn't want to interrupt you. Keep staring. Take in as much of this gorgeous red fur as you can take" He chuckled "But be careful, it's addicting"

"Addicting is right" She said, reluctantly climbing out of bed. She gave a yawn and stretched, standing on the tips of her large feet. This time It was Nick's turn to stare

"Careful there. Foxes only have so much stamina" She laughed

"You've been keeping up with this Bunny quite well"

"At the cost of my lifespan" She giggled, and began throwing on some casual attire. She smelled like Fox, but wouldn't be around anybody she knew today. She didn't care what strangers thought of her.

"Get your lazy tail out of bed. Breakfast time" She said, beckoning him to the kitchen.

"Then shopping?" He asked

"Then shopping" She confirmed.

* * *

Judy's store had been farther, so Nick had let her use the car. He walked to his destination, alone with his thoughts. He couldn't help but shake a feeling of dread that had settled in his stomach since Judy left for errands. He knew she was going to say yes tonight, so what was he worried about? Was he worried about the commitment? He knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. There was no question there. _So what was bothering him_?. He was terrified of losing her, he realized. Life was a fragile, temporary thing. He could lose Judy to anything. A car crash, a criminal, a sudden illness. These things, he realized, terrified him more than the thought of his own death.

 _Stop being so depressing_. He shook himself from his thoughts, and finally arrived at his destination. With resolve, he stepped into the jewelry store.

* * *

Judy had finally found the perfect outfit. She beamed at herself in the mirror, admiring her fashion sense. The dress was black, and fit her form nicely. It was also sleeveless, showing off her toned arms. The V at the front was low, giving off a generous amount of "Fuzzy-wuzzy". The edges of the dress were lined with purple that matched her eyes. Satisfied, she began changing back into her regular attire. She was just finishing up when she heard a knock at the door.

"Occupied" she called. There was no response. She shrugged, and finished putting the dress back on the hangar. She was excited for tonight. More than excited, she was thrilled. With a spring in her step, she opened up the changing room door. It was at that moment her entire existence was interrupted by a paw being driven into her gut at what seemed like one hundred miles an hour. There was no way to see it coming, nor time to react. She was lifted off her feet and thrown backwards into the changing room. She hit the wall hard, and slid to the floor. Dizzy and gasping for breath, she got a look at her assailant, who was now closing the door behind him. It was clear it was a him, because he had a mane. Only male lions have manes. He wearing normal attire, the distinguishing features being a large pawball cap and backpack slung over one shoulder. The Lion eyed her, and took something out of his pocket. The tip of the syringe glinted as he took the cap off. The rabbit knew exactly what was about to happen. Judy opened her mouth to scream, but was quickly silenced by a large paw over her mouth. She felt a prick in her neck as she was given whatever was in the syringe. The drug hit her like a train, and the small mammal could feel her state of consciousness slipping. With her last bits of wakefulness, she managed to slip her paw into her pocket, and speed dial Nick.

* * *

The small box rested in Nick's pocket. For the millionth time since he left the store, he put his paw on it. Making sure it was there. He smiled to himself, satisfied with his purchase. He had used the last of his hustling cash on it, and he couldn't think of any better way to spend the last remnant of his old life. He was shaken from his thoughts by his phone, which had started vibrating. He answered by the second ring.

"Carrots, do you need help picking out a dress?" He joked. There was no answer. All he heard was some rustling and a zipping noise.

"Carrots?" He stood like that for a while. Listening in on what he assumed was a tail-dial. The zipping ceased, and the rustling grew louder. A deep voice made his blood go cold.

"Now, where's that phone" the voice was humming to itself, and the rusting reached it's peak. He heard a noise like tapping on a microphone

"There you are" There was a crackling as the phone was rubbed against something

"Hey, hey who's there!" Nick shouted. He drew stares from other mammals on the street. He was frantic, he didn't care. Had someone stolen her phone? What was going on? The noise on the other end stopped.

"Aww hell. Quick, for a bunny" The call was ended, and Nick began sprinting home. _Judy's in trouble._ That thought ran through his mind over and over again. He slowed his pace, and managed to dial the ZPD.

"Hello, this is Officer Claw-"

"BEN! Transfer me to the chief. Now"

"Nick, whats going-"

"NOW, Ben!" He was gasping for breath now.

"Alright alri-" The cheetahs voice was cut off as the call was transferred. It was answered almost instantly.

"This is the chief speaking"

"Sir, somethings happened to Judy!" The buffalo paused. In all their time in the ZPD, he had never once heart Nick call Officer Hopps "Judy".

"Alright Nick, calm down. What happened"

"She called me, but she wasn't speaking. Someone was messing with her phone. The voice was deep, most likely a large mammal"

"Alright nick, i'm running a locator on her phone now" Nick reached their apartment, and sprinted up the stairs. He fumbled with his keys at the door. His paws were shaking.

"Nick…" The buffalo's tone sent shivers down his spine

"What?" He opened the door and ran for his uniform.

"Her phone. The battery has been removed" Nick stopped.

"SHIT"

"Nick, cal-"

"I'm heading to her last known location. I'll need a ride"

"I'm sending Wolford to pick you up now" Nick ended the call. The Chief sat there, processing what he just heard. He swore under his breath. This was too similar to the 23 other missing mammal cases the ZPD was currently working on.

* * *

Officer Wilde and Wolford arrived at the clothing store around 25 minutes later. Nick spotted their car in the parking lot, confirming his fears. Nick quickly opened the door and ran into the store, ignoring Wolfords calls to slow down. He went to the nearest customer service desk and addressed the porcupine sitting there. Wolford spotted him and walked over. It was obvious this employee was a higher-up

"I need to see the security footage from today" The Porcupine eyed the fox cautiously

"Do you have a warrant?" Nick growled under his breath. He didn't have time for this.

"Look, I don't have the patience to get a warrant. Time is of the essence here" Wolford watched the conversation, feeling the tension growing

"I'm sorry, but it's policy. I can't show you the footage without a warrant" The Porcupine crossed his arms.

"Look, a mammal's _life_ is in danger here. Are you really going to risk that over a stupid _policy_?" Nick let a dangerous edge creep into his voice. The Porcupine wasn't being intimidated.

"Sir, i'm going to have to request you leave my store" He turned to Wolford "And you need to muzzle your Fox. He's threatening an innocent civilian." That was a poor choice of words from the Porcupine. At that moment, Nick felt something inside him snap. He was done with this conversation. He leaned in close, looking the porcupine in the eyes. "The love of my life is in danger here. So if you don't show me that footage, i'll step it up from police intimidation, to police _brutality"_ Wolford put a paw on Nick's shoulder. He responded by looking back at his fellow officer. After seeing the look in the fox's eyes, the wolf dropped his paw. What he saw in those green eyes terrified him. He put his paw on his radio, ready to call in for backup if things got out of hand. The Porcupine shrank back in his chair, looking between the two officers. Realizing the one standing back wasn't going to help him, he addressed the crazy one again.

"S..Sir. My job…" Nick laughed, interrupting the manager. Wolford and the employee looked at each other in surprise. The Wolf just shrugged. Nick, meanwhile, was hysterical. He looked back at Wolford, catching his breath.

"This...this guy" He wheezed "He thinks I actually give a shit about his job" He doubled over again at his remark like is was the funniest thing in the world.

"He thinks I might care that he'll be fired!" Wolford took an unconscious step back. Nick was going off the rails.

"That's fucking funny, isn't it Wolford." He looked the Wolf in the eyes, and he shivered. His eyes didn't match his laughter. They were cold. If this porcupine didn't give him the footage, Nick would do something he would regret.

"That's hilarious Wilde"

"It is, isn't it" He turned back to the porcupine, who was now positively terrified.

"My fiance is in the custody of who is probably the Neo-Predators. She might be getting _eaten_ right now. You have the arrogance to think, that I give a _fuck_ if you get fired? I'm sorry if I find that amusing" He took the time to read the mammals nametag. _Samuel_.

"So, Samuel. My soulmate, or your job. I'm sure you can make the right decision here". The porcupine, Samuel, gulped. Wolford held his breath

"Right this way, sir" Nick smiled, but there was no warmth in it.

"Thank you"

* * *

"Here's all the footage" Said Samuel, gesturing to the small computer "Now, if you'll excuse me-"

"Sit your tail down, I want you to see the investigation you decided to hold up" His voice left no room for argument. Wolford regarded Nick. He was breaking the rules, but the Wolf was sorry to admit that he didn't have the courage to get in his way. His fellow officer was out for vengeance, and he could tell he would hurt any mammal that got in his way. Wolford would do the exact same thing for his wife, he realized. Samuel nodded, and stood behind Nick as he fiddled with the computer. He stopped as a small rabbit strolled into the store, and switched cameras, following her. The time read about an hour ago. Samuel watched the fox wearily. He was staring at the screen as if his life depended on it. _It's the rabbit_ Samuel realized. Wait, this officer was a fox. A fox and a rabbit? Soulmates? The Porcupines temper flared

"You lied to me" Nick paused the video, and turned to him.

"What was that?" The small mammal shrank under the fox's gaze, but steeled himself. He had rights. He would exercise them.

"You lied. You said you were looking for your fiance" Those green eyes regarded him. He could see the anger within them rising. Wolford watched the porcupine, tensing. _Is he trying to get himself killed?_

"I am" He said simply.

"The rabbit? A _Fox_ and a _Rabbit_? _._ What, are you two a couple of freaks?" The moment the words left his mouth, the Porcupine realized he made a mistake. Perhaps the last of his life. Samuel tried to turn his back to the officer so he could quill him. He was too slow. Nick lunged, taking him to the ground. He unsheathed his claws. He was more than ready to use them. Samuel put his arms over his face, doing his best to protect himself. But the assault never came. The Fox stayed there on top of him, breathing heavily. Wolford, meanwhile, had his taser drawn. He was behind the fox, so Nick had no way of knowing he had drawn his taser. _Why did he stop_ wondered the wolf. Nick got off the small mammal, looking down at him. Hate filled his expression.

"Get out" Samuel didn't need to be told twice. He ran out of the room. The Wolf holstered his taser. Nick took a deep breath, and returned to the computer. Following what happened before Judy was taken

"Thank you" He said, addressing Wolford.

"For what?"

"Not subduing me" Wolford, despite everything, chuckled

"That guy had it coming" Nick chuckled in return, but grew serious

"I wanted to do it, Wolford. I wanted to open up his throat."

"But you didn't" He said simply

"I didn't. I barely stopped myself" He looked at his friend "What's wrong with me?" The Wolf shook his head.

"Nick, if my wife, or any of my pups, were in Hopps situation, you could bet your tail I'd be in one hell of a mood." Nick smiled, comforted by his words. Without further conversation, he found what he was looking for. Judy walked into the changing room with a dress. After she went in, a large predator stood by the door, looking busy. His face was obscured by a pawball cap. Nick could see what was coming. _No no no no_ played on repeat until it happened. Judy opened the door, and the Lion crouched down and hit her with a savage punch to the stomach. He let out an audible growl, and Wolford gasped. The Lion shut the door behind him, blocking their view. _This is probably when she called me_ Nick realized. A couple minutes later, the Lion stepped out of the dressing room. It was obvious that his backpack was large enough to fit Judy. He then proceeded to stroll out of the store scott free. Now that his fears were confirmed, Nick couldn't hold it anymore. He sobbed. Wolford stood there behind him, not quite knowing what to do. He put a comforting paw on his shoulder.

"Wolford they're...they're going to eat..." Nick was a wreck. He could barely speak.

"No, Nick. They're not." He lied "We're going to find her. We're going to bring Hopps home to you"

"If they hurt her, I'll kill them" He said through tears "I promise them. I failed my promise to Hopps, to keep her safe. This is one promise I'll keep." He looked His coworker in the eyes, and Wolford could tell Nick wasn't exaggerating. If they laid a paw on his Rabbit, he would kill them all. Every last one of them.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Another update already? That's right. Works been slow lately, which means this and Battlefield One get to take up my free time. Feel fee to leave constructive criticism, and enjoy!

* * *

With nothing else to do, Nick paced. The lion had disappeared into the downtown area without a trace. Poof. Gone. All they had to go off of was a single strand of hair they got from the dressing room. They were running it through the system now, looking for a match. DNA tests, however, took time. Judy was running on borrowed time.

* * *

The Rabbit awoke groggily. The drugs had worn off to the point of wakefulness, but she was still extremely out of it.

"Mmm, Nick. Whatimisit." She mumbled. There was a soft chuckle at the corner of the room that was most definitely _not_ Nick's. Fear nagged the back of her mind. She attempted to roll over to the source of the sound, but was stopped by the paw cuffs on her feet and arms. Instead, she craned her neck and saw a tiger sitting there silently. A bolt of adrenaline coursed through her body, snapping her out of it. It all came rushing back to her. _I've been captured_ she realized. She squirmed a bit, testing her restraints, and let out an involuntary grunt of pain. There was an intense pain in her abdomen. A leftover gift from the lion that had nabbed her. More slowly this time, she tugged on each pawcuff. Each one held tight and fast. She quickly scanned her surroundings. The appeared to be in a bare concrete room. A single light bulb hung from the ceiling. There were two pieces of furniture. The bed she was strapped to, and the wooden chair the tiger was sitting in. She turned to the Tiger, who continued to watch her. With nothing else to do, she addressed him. First thing to try and do in a hostage situation is negotiate with the aggressor.

"Hey, you there. What's your name?" He said nothing, but he did lick his muzzle. She sighed in frustration and fear. She had a good idea of who these mammals were

"Listen, i'm sure you're as bored as I am. Why don't we have a chat?"

"I'm not bored. I actually quite enjoy watching prey squirm" _Creepy._

"Well, uh…"She didn't quite know how to respond to that. Frustrated, she went back to square one.

"Look, can you tell me what to call you?"

"The name's Barka"

"Alright Barka, this goes two ways." She put as much force into her voice as she could "You get me out of here, and you don't spend the rest of your life in jail. You go into witness protection, and we don't press charges" Barka raised his eyebrows "Or, i get rescued. Then you and your buddies get to spend the rest of your miserable lives rotting away in prison" After she finished her threat, the room went silent. The Tiger slowly stood up and moved over to her. _That was easy_ she thought, until she saw the irritation in the predator's eyes.

"Well well, we got ourselves another feisty one" The menace in his voice left her more than aware that she screwed up. Her heart rate quickened.

"You don't make the threats here, prey" He reached the edge of the bed, and unsheathed a single claw from his pointer finger. He pressed it up against the sensitive area on the underside of her forearm. With a low growl, he ran it down her arm. The claw parted fur and skin alike. Judy screamed, writhing in her restraints. The predator chuckled to himself, and leaned in so close she could feel his breath on her neck. She was sweating now, positively terrified. He whispered into her ear.

"The next time you try to make an empty threat, it will be your pretty face. Understand?" She nodded, composing her thoughts through the pain. Blood ran down her arm and onto her paw. From there, it dripped onto the floor. _Plink, plink._ Negotiation obviously wasn't an option when dealing with the criminally insane. So, that left option two. Escape. It was at that moment the door opened, and a wolf walked in. He gazed at Judy with eyes that appeared to be pitch black, matching his fur. She recognized this wolf. _Kadin, leader of the New Predators. AKA the Neo-predators._ It was at this moment Judy realized she was going to die. There was no way she was going to escape. Facing this crushing reality, tears began to stream down her face as she realized she was never going to see Nick again. Kadin cocked his head at her.

"What's wrong bunny?" His voice was so low it was nearly baritone. The kind of voice you'd expect a wolf with seven counts of murder and three counts of rape to have. She had memorized his file.

"I'm going to die, aren't I?. You aren't known to make it quick either" He grinned at her, flashing his grossly sharpened teeth.

"Finally catching on, are we?"

"Could I make a request before you end it?" Kadin laughed.

"What kind of request, prey?"

"A call. To say..." She choked back a sob "To say goodbye"

"Awww. How adorable. You're gonna break my heart" He said mockingly. Kadin began advancing on Judy. He gestured for Barka to leave the room, and he did. The Wolf opened his mouth to speak, but caught a whiff of something strong off her. Something that definitely shouldn't be on a rabbit. He leaned in closer to her, reveling in the discomfort as she tried in vain to squirm away. The wolf looked into her eyes, bathing in the terror he saw there. He put his nose right at her chest and inhaled deeply. He did this in multiple spots. Judy lay there, hoping to god he wasn't working up an appetite. When the wolf stepped away, she let out the anxious breath she'd been holding. Something in Kadin's mind clicked into place

"Well well. You've been fucking a fox" Her cheeks grew red, out of anger and embarrassment.

"What's it to you?" She demanded.

"Well. Now that I think about it, there was a certain Bunny and Fox on the news not too long ago. You wouldn't happen to be Judy Hopps, would you?" She paused, debating on whether to tell him. _Will he be angry that I turned prey against predator? That is how his group got started, after all._ She made up her mind.

"Yes, I am" Kadin clapped his paws together.

"The two most famous partners in the ZPD, the first fox and bunny, are fucking. You can't make this shit up" He chuckled "And I thought I was crazy" Judy just glared at him. The wolf shouted into the next room "Boys, there's been a change of plans. No fresh meat tonight" There were multiple groans in response. His expression turned serious, and he leaned in close.

"It's your lucky day. You might just be the leverage we've been looking for"

"Leverage for what?" His eyes twinkled with insanity.

"Revenge. But first, we're gonna need a little something from you to get our point across" His tone made her shiver. Almost tenderly, the Wolf took Judy's paw in his. His touch made her instincts scream at her to get away. _Predator eat you! Predator bad!_

"We're not going to kill you. Not tonight, at least. But, that doesn't mean you're going to enjoy your stay. I think we're gonna send a little present to the ZPD" Judy opened her mouth to inquire further, but was interrupted when Kadin bent down and bit into her left hand. She screamed as he took off her finger.

* * *

Nick was awoken from his slumber by a vibrating phone. He forgot where he was for a few moments, checking his surroundings. _I'm at work, in the lab_ He realized. He had refused to go home, on account of any news about Judy coming to the ZPD. So instead, he had fallen asleep in a chair, with his face on a table. H _ow long was I out for?._ Shaking himself awake, he answered his phone.

"Hello?"

"Wilde, Where are you?" The Chiefs tone sent shivers down his spine. He could almost imagine the words that could come next. _Judy's remains were found last night._ He nearly threw up at the thought of it.

"In the lab"

"Come upstairs, There's something you need to see" Nick had never run as fast as he did out of that room.


	6. Chapter 6

Nick was greeted by many things in the lobby, but three caught his attention above all. One, Clawhauser was currently losing his donuts into the nearest trashcan. Two, most of the ZPD officers were present, looking somber. And three, Chief Bogo was giving Nick a look that let him know things had taken a turn for the worse. The russet fox weaved his way through the crowd, earning sympathetic looks from more than a few of the officers. _Please god, no_ was all he could think. When he finally reached the desk in the center of the large lobby, he saw it. A very small box. He slowly approached.

"Nick" Said Bogo, shaking him from his thoughts. The Chief never called him Nick. It was always Wilde, Officer, or sometimes "Fox" when he was mad. Nick met his eyes, and saw worry in them.

"Take it slow. I know you love her, so you need to keep calm"

"What do you mean?" Nick's voice was trembling now. She wasn't dead, that much was clear.

"Going crazy won't do any mammal any good"

"What did they _do_ , Chief?" The large buffalo just gestured to the box, his eyes staring at his hooves. Nick steeled his resolved, and looked inside. It took him a moment to register what he was seeing. His eyes saw it, but his brain was having a hard time comprehending it. It was a fuzzy grey piece of something. The blood on the severed end was coagulated and dry, meaning it had been a while. It was only when Nick caught a whiff from the box did he finally come to terms with what he was seeing. The bastards had sent them Judy's finger. They were _torturing_ her. At that moment, Nick snapped again. However, This was different than the time at the clothing store. That was a twig breaking in comparison to what he was feeling now. His entire being felt like it was on fire. Lava flowed through his veins. Without caring what anyone thought, In front of the entire ZPD, he screamed. A feral, guttural scream of rage and anguish. He wanted, no, _needed_ , to hit something. Problem was, he was surrounded by ZPD officers with nothing to destroy. He settled instead for standing there, shoulders heaving. His very being felt enraged. Without realizing it, he growled. Most of the ZPD stood there silently, unsure of what to do. Some backed away. Some unconsciously touched their sidearms. Most of them looked to their Chief. Bogo cleared his throat to speak, but Nick spoke first.

"Your office, now" The tone left no room for argument. The Chief wasn't _ever_ one to take orders from a subordinate, but he listened to Nick. He wasn't afraid of Nick, he was afraid _for_ him. There were audible gasps as he nodded and followed the Fox to the elevator. He turned to Fangmeyer on his way out

"Get that to forensics" He said, pointing to the box

"Yes, sir" That said, the Buffalo silently followed him to his office.

* * *

"Did you read the note?" Bogo asked, and Nick perked up. If they had made demands, perhaps they could be met.

"No"

"They want former-mayor Bellwether executed, on live television, for her crimes against predators" Nick face fell

"Oh"

"You and I both know that's not an option" Nick would have killed Bellwether for the whole world to see if it meant getting Judy back, but he held his tongue. There was a silence between the two mammals.

"I need access to the armory and evidence lockers" Nick said matter of factly. Bogo regarded him silently. The foxes body language was calm, as was his voice. But he saw the hatred in those eyes. No, absolute _rage_. Bogo had seen this before in other officers. The point where they became so focused on revenge, they lost sight of everything else. He sighed

"Nick, you know I can't-"

"Spare me the rules and regulations" The Chief's anger flared at the interruption. Whether his love was in danger or not, he was stepping way out of his boundaries.

"Even if I did. We don't know where they operate. And I can't authorize you to kill them. Maniacs or not, they still get a trial" Nicks facade dropped, and his jowls rose. The lamp on Bogo's desk reflected off his teeth.

"Mammals get rights, sir. They're savages" Bogo leaned in close, not taking the unconscious threats well.

"You're acting pretty savage yourself there, _Fox_." A low growl escaped his throat, before he finally came to his senses. _I'm growling at the chief!._ He shook his head and composed himself. He had to find Judy, and he needed his friends help. Now was not the time to burn bridges. He had to keep his emotions in check. Bogo nodded, satisfied he has sufficiently calmed himself.

"As I was saying, I can't give you access to the armory" He paused, smirking "But if you had let me continue, I was going to say I think my memory's going bad. I Can't remember where I put my keys" Nick's ears perked at that remark. "And if certain...evidence...were to go missing after a certain break and enter" The chief shrugged "Not much I can do about that" Nick gave him as much of a smile as he could manage.

"Thank you" Bogo's face grew somber.

"Don't thank me, Nick. You're doing all this outside of the jurisdiction of the ZPD. Maybe since we haven't been able to find them" He met Nick's eyes "A vigilante will"

"I'll do my best, sir" The steel in his voice could be heard by even the deafest mammal. He eyed the fox worriedly, and went to exit the room. He dropped his keys of the floor as he opened the door.

"You better be serious about this"

"You want serious? I was going to ask her to marry me last night" The foxes voice broke, and the Chief paused, surprised by his confession.

"I'm as serious as a bullet through a predator's skull. I still intend to marry her." Another silence filled the room.

"Good luck, Nick. Bring her home" He said without turning around. He hoped he'd see the fox again.

* * *

Nick slid open the door to the armory, and starting choosing his tools of revenge. He began filling a duffel bag with goodies. He first picked out his weapon of choice, a standard AR-15. From there, he picked out his acessories. A twelve gauge shotgun here, a couple of nine millimeter handguns there. He eyed the frag grenades, and shrugged. _Why not._ He topped off the duffel bag with a combat knife, riot armor, and lots of spare ammunition. He didn't agree with police militarization, but right now he was thankful for it. On his way out, he stopped by the evidence lockers. Alphabetically sorted, he searched for the N section. L, M, N, Na, Ne, Ni... _There it is._ He gingerly took the small purple orb out of its evidence bag, and put it in his pocket. _Just in case_. With that, he left the ZPD to find his Bunny.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Sorry this one took a little longer. Enjoy and leave a review!

* * *

Nick went over the note again in his mind.

 _We have your rabbit, here's your proof. If you want her back, you're going to kill former mayor Dawn Bellwether on live television for her crimes against predators. You have until midday wednesday. Don't test us. We'll be more than happy to settle for a snack._ With that bit of info fully memorized, he went over his options. It was around two o'clock on monday, so that left him a little less than forty-eight hours. _That number, what a coincidence_. Forty-eight hours to solve this case, or Judy struck out for good. How was he going to solve the case? Right now he had one lead. The lion hair in the lab had come back with a match. It belonged to one Jack Kingston, a mammal who had gone missing around three weeks ago. Seventeen years old, dropped out of high school at fifteen. Arrested on charges of underage drinking and a minor scuffle at school. Wasn't exactly an angel, but wasn't the worst either. The neo-preds was a big step up. Most mammals involved with the neo-predators dropped out of society due to their depraved pastimes. Jack was no different. However, while the DNA test wouldn't help him find his perp, it would help him find his family. Not for malicious purposes, of course. If anybody knew where to find him, it would be his family. A phone call broke him from his thoughts. Hoping it wasn't from Bogo, he checked the screen. It was worse than the chief. The number wasn't in his contacts, but it was an area code he recognized. _The chief must have told them_. He answered the phone before he chickened out.

"I...I'm sorry. I broke my promise" He said.

"Nick" Bonnie's voice was hoarse, but full of sympathy. There was no anger. It was obvious they had been crying. Nick had to fight to hold back tears of his own.

"The Chief told us what happened son, nothing you could've done" Stu didn't sound much better. Nick was surprised at the use of the word "son" though.

"I...I should've been there for her" He was choking up

"Nobody could've seen that coming. Even Judy didn't" Nick sighed

"I know"

"You probably know this, but you need to hear it from us" Said Stu

"Hear what" The Fox said

"We're bunnies Nick. Love is our favorite pastime. We _know_ love, so when we say this we say it without exaggeration" Nick began to tear up at Bonnie's words.

"Judy _loved_ you, with all her heart. You two were mated for life, and she wouldn't of let anything change that. We need you to know that" Finally, the tears flowed. Nick gritted his teeth.

" _Are"_

"What?"

"Judy and I _are_ mated for life. Not _were_. I'm going to get her back"

"We hope so, Nick"

"After I do, I'm going to marry her. I would like to do it with your blessing" The bunnies paused at this, taken aback by the question. Bonnie spoke first

"Nick, I can't believe you just asked that question. Of course you can marry our daughter"

"Hell, I was wondering when you were gonna ask that. Go ahead, son" Nick smiled. He was growing to love Judy's parents as well.

"Alright, I'll call you back after I've got her back"

"Good luck, Nick" He ended the call. Now that they couldn't hear him, he sobbed.

* * *

Nick pulled into the residence of the Kingstons around ten minutes later. The moment he opened the door of the air-conditioned squad car, he was blasted with the sweltering heat of the Savannah district. Already sweating, he walked at a brisk pace. Apprehensively, he knocked on the door. It was answered not much later by an older female lion. She eyed the fox, taking note of the uniform and badge.

"Morning officer, what can I do for you this morning?"

"Hello . I was wondering if you could tell me anything about the whereabouts of your son, Jack" A look of pain flashed across her face. _Bad memories_ Nick realized.

"Come in, i'll tell you what I told the last officers a couple weeks ago" Her voice held a hint of annoyance. Nick followed the lioness into the well-furnished house. Like most houses in the Savannah district, the air conditioning was on extremely low, if at all. Nick didn't know why evolution saw fit to give these mammals so much fur, but they didn't seem to mind it. The Lioness sat down on the couch, and the Fox took a seat across from her.

"Jack went missing around three and a half weeks ago. We called the police, but they were unable to find him. He's not the type to get himself killed" _We'll see about that_ Nick thought "But we suspect he just fell in with a bad crowd" He leaned forwards, making eye contact with the feline.

"We have reason to believe he's with the Neo-Predators." She gasped "If there's anything you can tell me, it could save lives" She shook her head

"I have no idea of his whereabouts. If I did, I'd call you"

"Is there anyone who might?" She shook her head again

"My husband won't, and I doubt Hammond was told anything. They were never very close" Nick perked his ears that.

"Who's Hammond?"

"His younger brother"

"Mind if I talk to him" The lioness hesitated, but could feel a sense of desperation coming from the officer.

"Sure, he's upstairs. First room on the right"

"Thank you " The fox got up and rushed upstairs. He needed something, _anything_ , from this family. He knocked on the appropriate door, and a familiar voice came from the other side.

"What, Mom?" _He sounds just like his brother_. He opened the door. The lion was sitting at a desk, doing schoolwork of some sort.

"Not your Mother, I've just got some questions for ya" The lion froze, and Nick tensed at his body language. He followed his gaze...to a bong sitting in the corner of the room. The officer rolled his eyes.

"I don't care. Relax. I'm here to ask you some questions about your brother" Something flickered in his eyes at that moment. _He's nervous_. This lion had something for him.

"I don't know where he is"

"You sure about that?" The big cat hesitated. That was more than enough to confirm his suspicions.

"I am"

"Look, kid. You can either continue to lie through those big teeth of yours, or you can give me what I need to know" The lion shrank back from the mammal half his size. He knew he was caught, and he could hear the edge in the fox's voice.

"He...He hasn't hurt anyone. He just runs errands for them is all. They pay him cash, under the table. It's how he gets by"

"How do you know this, have you talked to him?" Nick was almost yelling now, leaning into the Hammonds face.

"We...we" He choked up "I promised I wouldn't tell anyone" Nick pulled out his phone, frustrated.

"What was that you said about him not hurting anyone? watch _this"_ he pulled up the recording of the capture, and tossed it onto the Lion's lap. The feline was silent as he watched the video. He gasped, and put a paw over his mouth. He was on the verge of tears.

"He...He lied to me" Nick had broke him. He was ready to talk.

"Please, tell me where he is, so I can stop this from happening to anyone else" He swallowed, and met the Fox's eyes.

"We meet for coffee, every monday, at the StarDucks down the street."

"Today's monday" He nodded

"He'll be there in around two hours. Five o'clock" Nick got up to leave, and addressed the Lion again.

"Don't beat yourself up. No way you could've known."Hammond nodded, looking terrified.

"Please don't tell my mom" Nick paused

"Alright" He returned downstairs. looked at him expectantly. Nick returned the gaze as he headed for the front door.

"You were right, he didn't know anything"

"Told you" Her arrogant tone sparked Nick's anger. _I'm going to kill your son_. He flashed a smile at her

"Well, thank you for your hospitality, "

"No problem at all, Officer"

* * *

Nick sat outside, sipping at his coffee. He had changed into casual attire, and parked his squad car fairly far down the street. Nothing to tip off the perp that this was a trap. Growing anxious, he glanced at his phone. Four forty-five. Fifteen minutes until showtime. He put a comforting paw on the gun under his jacket. Jack was a much larger mammal than Nick, so he would need it for when he made his move. Not more than five minutes later, he spotted the feline walking towards the shop. Rage flowed through his veins. He had captured Judy. He had _hurt_ her. If she got killed, it would be this Lion's fault. He had to fight to keep himself seated. He wanted to rip his throat out, but he needed information. The lion entered the shop, and ordered a drink. Only when he took a seat at one of the tables with his coffee, did Nick get up. He walked into the cafe, looking nonchalant. With an almost feline dexterity, he slid onto the bench across from Jack. The Lion eyed him warily.

"Hey, buddy. Long time no see. How have you been?" Jack relaxed a bit

"I think you've got the wrong mammal mister…"

"Actually it's officer. Officer Nick Wilde" The cats eyes widened. Nick saw his eyes flick from left to right as he considered and discarded courses of action.

"I wouldn't recommend trying anything. I've got a nine-millimeter pointed at your nuts right now, and at this range, I'm a real Frederick Zoller" The lion's expression grew fearful. Nick found himself enjoying intimidating the mammal before him.

"You ever seen that movie? No? Anyways, I need you to answer me a few questions." Jack gulped.

"No." Nick grinned a wide grin, flashing all of his teeth.

"Oh, you and I are going to have some fun"


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: Hey everybody! Sorry about the long-ass time in between updates. I tried to post this chapter a couple days ago, but it looks like something went wrong. Ebolson's review let me know something was up. Been very busy between school and work. Anyways, I just wanted to thank ebolson for his reviews. You have private messaging disabled :) And, to answer your questions, Nick refused the help of the ZPD because he wants to kill the predators, at least the ones that hurt judy directly (Jack and Kadin). His descent into a revenge hungry madness is an important part of the story. As for the finger, I'm trying to paint the Neo-Preds as a group of psychopaths. They want bellwether, but they're perfectly happy playing with (and perhaps eating) their plaything in the meantime. That being said, enjoy chapter 8! (Sorry its so short, but I'd rather update than leave you all waiting) I'm almost done with chapter 9, expect it tomorrow or the next day.

Nick sat there, looking into the Lions amber eyes. He just stared back, extremely aware of the gun the Fox was holding under the table. All the mammals in the small coffee shop went about their buisness happily, unawares of the situation that could explode at any moment. Nick took a long sip of his coffee, not quite sure where to take this next. He had expected the lion to tell him at the knowledge of the gun. He debated with himself. He had a few options. Option one, get the lion someplace private where he could torture the infor- He nearly choked on his coffee. Torture? Nick was many things, and he would do anything to get judy back. But was he willing to torture this lion? He stared at the feline for a long moment. _I can't_ He realized. As much as he hated this creature, he wouldn't torture him. He might kill him, sure. But it would be quick and painless. As for the bastard that took Judy's finger… He found his muzzle unintentionally climbing up his teeth. The lion gulped. A few minutes passed, and Nick quickly figured out an option two. After he cut all ties with his family, why would he take the risk to meet his brother here?

"So, you're really not going to tell me, are you?"

"Nope" Jack's voice held resolve.

"Not matter what I do to you?" fear flashed in his eyes

"Yes. I tell you, they'll kill me.

"I guess i'll have to go about this some other way then" He eyed the fox warily. Was this other way better or worse?

"What other way? Are you letting me go?"

"Sure" The lion sat there, staring down the officer. He slowly slid out from the booth, holding his breath. Nick put both his paws on the table, smiling at him. The gesture was clear. _Something's wrong_ thought Jack. He slowly stood up, and began to make for the door. Right as he reached for the handle, the fox cleared his throat.

"Just know, if you leave, one thing is going to happen." He paused, holding his paw over the handle. He removed it, and regarded Nick. The two were beginning to draw attention.

"What things?" Nick's smile faltered. _Let's play some heartstrings_ He thought. He teared his eyes up.

"One, the love of my life will be killed, all because you wanted to make a quick buck" The lion's eyes widened in surprise.

"The rabbit, the love of your life?"

"Yes" The pain in his voice made the lion flinch. _So he's not a sociopath_ thought Nick. "What, did you think you just captured some faceless mammal?" The lion took a deep breath

"What do you mean by that?" Nick's pained expression was slowly turning into an angry one.

"That bunny was someone's daughter. Someone's sister. Someone's _partner_ " He basically spat the last word "And you took that from them" Jack was looking increasingly bothered by his statements. The patrons of the _Starducks_ were paying lots of attention now.

"Now, if you want to try to right your wrong, you can tell me where to find her." The feline stared at him. His expression had softened

"I tried to cut ties, I really did. It started off small. Bringing them regular food, going places where their faces were known. That sort of thing" He sighed "when they asked me to bring them a mammal, I refused. They threatened me and my family. They know my home address" He eyed Nick, his eyes pained "I'm sorry" He moved to leave.

"Wait" Nick said. The lion ignored him, opening the door and nearly slamming it behind him. He got up and went after him. The fox followed the large feline outside, only to be clotheslined on his way out the door. He hit the ground hard, his breath knocked out of him. Jack lifted his up by his neck and held him against the wall. The lion searched his waistband and relieved him of his gun. Nick gasped for breath, and struggled against his grasp.

"Leave me alone, please. If i don't show up, they kill my family. This is your last warning " People in the shop were beginning to call the police.

"I'm sorry about what I did to the rabbit, but she's as good as dead now. I'm sorry" He choked up "I really am" The fox stopped struggling. A brilliant light bulb had gone off in his mind.

"Wi...Witness…" Nick wheezed. The lion perked his ears, and loosened his grip.

"Witness protection" He managed in between coughs. Jack slowly lowered the fox to the ground. Nick fell to his knees, rubbing his throat and catching his breath. After around thirty seconds of this, he got up, meeting the lion's eyes.

"If you tell me where to find her, I can give you and your family witness protection until this is over" The feline froze, considering the options.

"You can? No questions asked?"

"You'll be asked lots of questions. The answers are what guarantees your safety"

"Will there be charges brought against me?" Nick eyed him, and Jack shrank before his gaze.

"That depends" His voice grew cold "If Judy dies, i'll make sure you rot in jail for the rest of your life, which may become very short"

"I can't keep her alive" His tone screamed _It's not my fault if she dies_.

"But you can help me find her. You do that, you'll be scott free. Cleared of all charges." Sirens blared in the distance.

"It's time to make your decision" Jack slowly stroked his mane. The sirens steadily grew louder.

"You promise you can keep them safe?"

"I promise"

"Im trusting you here, _Fox_ " He extended his large paw. Nick shook it. He gave his best con-artist smile

"You hopefully won't regret it" With that said, they waited for the police to arrive. Nick quickly remembered the gun.

"You might want to give me that, unless you want to get shot" Jack looked confused. Nick rolled his eyes"The gun"

"Oh, right" He pulled it out of his massive back pocket and handed it over. It was at that moment that the feline realized he screwed up. The canine dropped his persona and showed what he really felt about Jack. His expression was one of pure hatred. Nick wasted no time in turning it around and shooting the larger mammal in the knee. Jack roared on his way down in the way only a lion could. The fox squatted down next to him. His tone sent shivers down the wounded mammals spine

"I appreciate the cooperation, but I can't ignore that fact that Judy lost a finger because of you. She'll never use that finger again. In return, you'll never use that leg the same way again."

"You promised"

"Protection for you family, not for you"

"Screw you"

"The feeling's mutual" Blue and red lights flashed out of the corner of his vision

"Hang tight, here comes the cavalry"


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: Another chapter. Expect three or four more chapters, which will be longer. Might start another Zootopia fanfic after this one. We'll see. Feel free to leave reviews!

* * *

"So that's it? He resisted arrest and you shot him?" Bogo looked at the fox incredulously

"Yep"

"No taser or pepper spray?"

"I was undercover, didn't have them on me" The buffalo sighed

"Don't lie to me, Wilde. I already gave you the go ahead on your search for judy. Don't get the ZPD involved in your personal vendetta. Witnesses in the coffee shop said you shot him unprovoked." he paused "After he dropped you, so not entirely unprovoked" Nick just shrugged. Bogo glared at him. "There are questions of police brutality being brought against us" His voice was rising. The fox threw his arms into the air, giving up.

"Alright, I shot him for revenge. There, I said it" They both sat there for a while, trying to read each other. Bogo cleared his throat.

"Well, since Jack refused to talk to you after your little fiasco, officer Mchorn got some information out of him." Nick leaned forward, now very interested. "Judy is being held in Savannah Central, 1256 Oasis Street." He nearly leapt out of his chair. Bogo's hoof went up into the air in the universal _stop_ gesture. It took every bit of control Nick had to remain in the room.

"The ZPD is preparing for a raid. You're not doing this alone." He gritted his canines together

"They'll see us coming. They'll kill her"

"No, they won't. We're going after the sun sets. Full tactical gear. Lethal force authorized"

"Chief, they're all _predators_. They have a sense of sight and smell magnitudes above yours. I guarantee they'll have someone on guard" The ranking officer folded his hooves across his chest.

"Then what do you propose? You've already drawn to much attention to yourself. You're not going in alone"

"Attention?" Bogo pulled out his phone. After tapping it for a couple seconds, he slid it across the desk to Nick. It was a social media website Nick was unfamiliar with. Across the top of the screen, it read _The Fox and the Rabbit? Nick Wilde out for Blood after partner Judy Hopps captured! Is there something more than partnership?_ Underneath, there was a picture of Nick crouching over a bleeding, wounded Jack. His expression was...not good. His gun glinted in the sunlight.

"That picture doesn't look very good. The public must hate me" Bogo huffed

"On the contrary, they love you. You and Judy are a very high profile coup-" He paused "Team. It's the perfect story. You two finally get together, only for her to be tragically taken by the evil Neo-Predators she helped create" Nick scowled

"She didn't mean to hurt predators. That's her biggest regret"

"Accident or not, she still caused a lot of pain. Especially to one wolf in particular" The fox's ears perked up

"What wolf?"

"We knew Kadin was a fake identity. He popped out of the woodwork around a year ago, committing crimes against prey left and right"

"And…?"

"Jack was able to give us some information on him. We connected the dots. Before he was Kadin, his name was Lupus. Lupus Daughtry. He went missing after was killed by some prey" Nick winced. The leader of the Neo-Preds had a personal reason to hate Judy. That wasn't good.

"To add salt to the wound, the killing was ruled self defense. The moose said they felt "Threatened" by the wolf. The fear of her going savage was enough to clear them of all charges" He looked Nick in the eyes "The two moose were found dead later that week. Torn to pieces, slowly"

"Damn…"

"So, now that you know who you're fucking with, will you accept my help?" Nick gaped. The chief never swore. He yelled and raised his voice, but never swore. He cleared his throat.

"Ill accept the assistance on one condition"

"I'm listening"

"The raid follows my lead. It may be a little bit...off protocol"

"You mean illegal" Nick shrugged

"If it means it increases Judy's chances of survival, yes" The chief sat there for a couple seconds, thinking.

"Alright. We'll follow your lead. Let's get her back, Wilde" The let out a genuine smile for the first time in two days

"Alright, I'm gonna need to grab some stuff from my old profession" He nearly sprinted out of the room

"I'm already starting to regret this" Bogo said as he followed him out.

* * *

Judy came to, slowly. _Did i pass out?_ She stirred. Her left paw screamed in pain. Immediately remembering her situation, she opened her eyes ever so slightly. Thankfully, the room was empty. Being unwatched, she opened her eyes the rest of the way. Without the fear of immediate death, she took a closer look at her bindings. Both wrists were tied to a handle on each side. Her neck was fastened to the back of the chair so she couldn't use her teeth. Her legs were fastened to the legs of the chair. _Jeez, talk about overkill_ she thought. Lacking any immediate means of escape, she examined her wounded stump. There was a large amount of dried blood on the floor, and she was still woozy from the loss of it. She slowly flexed her hand, and was met with a searing pain as her stump moved downwards with the rest of her fingers. She hissed in pain, and kept that hand as still as she could. With nothing else to do, she struggled. She pulled at her neck, her arms and her legs. They all held fast, except for one. Her left leg had a bit of wiggle room. She did her best to move her head forward to look at the rope. Through sheer luck, the blood from her finger had dripped down onto the rope and, in turn, the knot holding it fast. It was still tied, but it had been slicked up enough to loosen slightly, probably while she was writhing in pain before she passed out. Now that the blood was dry though, it was probably making it worse. Growing desperate, she worked on that leg. Straining it back and forth, left and right. And unknown amount of time passed before she began feeling a difference. Reinvigorated, she kept at it. Back and forth, left and right. Eventually, the rope got loose enough to pull her foot out. Now a little more comfortable about her situation, she left it there. Wouldn't want them knowing she had a card up her sleeve. Hungry, Thirsty, tired and still terrified, Judy Hopps waited for what was to come.


	10. Status of Darker Sides

Hello Everybody

You've all probably lost interest at this point. If however, you haven't, I am planning on finishing this story. I haven't forgotten it. I've been struggling with work, school and (crippling) depression. Midterms are over, and I've cut down my hours at work, which means I have more time to write my original fiction and, by extension, my fan fiction. The next chapter is almost done. Sorry about the couple-month hiatus. Stay awesome everybody.


	11. Chapter 10

Before you read, I just wanted to do a quick review of the story so far. Looking over it to refresh my memory, I realize a few things. The biggest being that I have problems with continuity. The most glaring example is that Nick isn't going all vigilante like I planned him to, but working with the ZPD. Also, Judy wasn't captured because of her involvement in Bellwether case like I originally planned. She was just captured because she was prey. I sort of just write as I go, and planning ahead is not my strong suit. That being said, enjoy chapter 10, and feel free to leave reviews.

* * *

Nick Wilde rifled through his side of the closet, doing his best to ignore Judy's clothes. The scent of her was strong in their apartment, and right now he couldn't be distracted. Bogo was waiting outside in his personal cruiser. Wolford had given him a ride. The same Wolf walked into the room, checking out his coworkers living space. His eyes widened as the scent hit him.

"Oh boy, you've been busy in here haven't you" Nick could tell he was just trying to lighten the mood. He let out a mischievous grin.

"She is a bunny"

"That she is" Wolford sniffed again

"The scent of this place is oddly familiar. Have I been here before" Nick's eyebrows rose as he looked behind him.

"You don't remember?"

"No, what happened?" the Fox talked as he continued searching the closet

"You had a few too many drinks on one of the ZPD'S nights out. Gave you a ride, and you crashed on the couch till the missus came and picked you up" Wolford tilted his head, like most canines did when they were thinking hard about something

"The memories are vague, but that makes sense." Silence hung in the air while nick continued flipping the hangers from right to left.

"Aha, here we go" Nick triumphantly held up an old uniform.

"A pizzaden costume?" Nick nodded, and began throwing it on.

"Why the hell do you have a pizzaden uniform?"

"I had a lot more tricks up my sleeve than reselling popsicles" Wolford smiled

"I bet" Now dressed, Nick grabbed his duffel bag full of (unauthorized) police weaponry.

"Let's go"

* * *

2 squad cars stopped a couple blocks away from the place Judy was supposedly being kept. Nick had refused the help of any more. This had to remain low-key. One whiff of what was coming would get her killed. Bogo and Fangmeyer rode in the first, Nick and Wolford in the second. "Alright guys, you stay far behind me and out of sight. I'll get us in" Nick grabbed the pizza they had picked up on the way.

"You sure this is gonna work?" asked Fangmeyer. Nick tucked away a knife and handgun into his baggy shorts.

"It better" Nick said. Bogo cleared his throat loudly, getting the three officers attention

"Remember Wilde, since you accepted out help, no executions. If they die from a gunshot wound inflicted by self defense, that's within your rights."

"And if i don't" Bogos nostrils flared at the remark

"Then you might spend the rest of your life in a jail cell, whether I want you to or not. I only have so much wiggle room here"

"Sounds good. C'mon" Nick slid the pizza into the fabric carrier. As he strolled down the street, the three officers stayed a couple yards back. As they neared the house, Nick's backup hid behind the fence that gated the yard. Steeling himself and calming his anger, he walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. He heard quiet pawsteps, followed by the undoing of a latch. The door opened, albeit not very wide. He was greeted by the face of a tiger. He looked friendly enough, but tense. Not like like the frazzled psychopath he was expecting. _If that lion lied to me_. Finding it beginning to grow awkward, Nick spoke up. He had lost his touch with all the time spent on the force. "Large pizza, extra protein?" he said as he took out the box. The tiger visibly relaxed.

"I think you've got the wrong address" Nick made a show of looking at the paper on top of the pizza.

"Nope, right address" The tiger sighed and turned around.

"Any of you order a pizza?!" Multiple voices shouted back no. All deep. All definately predatory. There was something about the cadence in a feline or canines voice that Nick had learned to listen for over the years.

"Sorry man, must've been a prank call" He went to close the door

"Hold on, no point in me going back with it. I'll give it to you for free" The tiger's ears perked a bit

"Really?"

"We're not technically supposed to, but my boss is cool about it. It happens rarely enough" Nick was standing far enough back that the tiger had to step outside to grab the pizza. The large feline grabbed it and turned to go back inside. It was at that moment Nick drew his tranq gun and fired a dart into his back. The tiger made a sharp grunt, and fell to the floor. Nick quickly closed the door and gave a low whistle. The three officers quickly ran up and dragged the large mammal to the side. He was still conscious, albeit extremely sleepy. He fought the drugs harder once he realized what was going on. His facade dropped, and he started to growl "You fuckers don't know who you're dea-" Nick pressed his nine millimeter to his forehead, and he promptly shut his muzzle. Bogo tensed, hoping to god that this was just a scare tactic.

"Where's the rabbit" The tiger gulped

"The basement" _That was easy._ Nick holstered the pistol to draw his tranquilizer. Right as he readied to knock the predator out, the front door opened.

"Hey Barka, you-" The leopard froze as he spotted the congregation of five mammals on the corner of his lawn. Nick turned his tranquilizer on the newcomer, but not before the Tiger, Barka, lunged forward and sank his teeth into his left arm. With his size and strength, the sedatives were having a minimal effect. Bone snapped under the powerful jaws, and Nick grunted, doing everything in his power to keep quiet. Wolford reacted fast, drawing his gun on the leopard as he roared at them in true feline fashion. _They heard that for sure. They're going for Judy_ was all Nick was able to think, even with the Tiger latched onto his arm. Nick dropped his tranq and pulled his pistol. _Gotta get this fucker off me._ Barka shook his head violently, taking Nick to the ground. He was about to put a bullet in it's skull, but the violent mammal had gotten him to drop his pistol. Nick struggled with the large cat, until Bogo grabbed him by the scruff. There was a loud snap as the Buffalo punched him in the jaw, breaking it. Bogo lifted him into the air, and punched him again. Now limp, the Chief dropped him. Nick barely registered the gunshots as Wolford dropped the leopard. Two more large predators ran outside to fight, but Nick barely registered them. Unable to think clearly, the frantic Fox sprinted inside, past the hostiles. They made a move to intercept, but the Lion addressed the Timberwolf first "Leave him. Kadin can handle that scrawny thing"

"Wilde, wait!" Bogo shouted. He was interrupted by the wolf leaping onto him, sinking his teeth into his shoulder. Already fuming and getting angrier, the Buffalo wasted no time in driving his sidearm, a 50 caliber revolver, into the predators chest. He fired until it let go. The predator fell to the ground, it's chest cavity now just that. A cavity. Meanwhile, the feline was causing trouble for his other two officers. The thing was massive, even by lion standards. It had taken multiple shots, but disarmed Wolford and Fangmeyer in the process. Bogo attempted to line up a shot, but the the two canine officers were currently grappling with it. With his aim being shaky due to the torn up shoulder, the Chief wasn't about to take any chances. _Aw, to hell with it_. Bogo holstered his gun and moved in to pummel the Lion personally.


	12. Chapter 11

Nick sprinted down the stairs empty handed. Had his mind been clearer, he would have realized he was heading to face a mammal much bigger than he, with a broken arm and nothing but a knife and a last resort. . But he wasn't thinking clearly . His mind was racing at a hundred miles an hour, doing its best to ignore the pain. At the bottom he was met with an unusually heavy door made of metal. This was a cell if he'd ever seen one. Wasting no time, he unlatched the door and kicked it open. He was met with a chilling sight. First, he saw Judy. The fur on one side of her face was matted with dry blood. Other than that she seemed to be in good condition. The second thing he noticed was the wolf standing behind her. Kadin was crouching, most of his large body hidden behind the bunny. His jaws were dangerously close to her neck. They both stood there for a moment, staring each other down. Nick assessed the situation. _He's hiding because he thinks I have a gun._ He realized. Nick made a show of slowly reaching towards his belt. Kadin made himself just a little smaller. "This is going to sound cliche" Nick said, breaking the silence "but i'm going to have to ask you to leave her out of this" Kadin sneered at him, having none of it.

"And why would I do that"

"Because if you lay a single claw on her, I'll rip you to shreds" Judy stayed silent, but saw the fire in his eyes.

"You can't take me Fox. Not without that gun of yours. I'm fine staying right where I am" The room went silent again as Judy gauged his reaction. _He dosen't have a gun_. _But he has something_. She could tell when Nick was hustling someone. Noticing Judy's alertness, he made eye contact with her. Her eyes darted down towards her left leg and back again. Nick nodded slightly, noticing the rope on that leg was missing. Nick put both his hands in the air, and started moving left. He let out a small whimper at the pain it caused. Blood soaked the fur surrounding the area. Kadin snorted.

"Your arm's all fucked up"

"Thanks for noticing" He didn't break eye contact, and continued slowly moving left. _What's this fox up to?_ Kadin wondered. To adjust, Kadin moved his head from the right side of Judy's neck to the left, his eyes never leaving the very angry mammal in front of him. The last thing he saw was Nick grin as a flash of grey caused his muzzle to explode in agony. His head snapped back as blood spurted from his extremely sensitive nose. He stumbled into the back wall, struggling to regain his senses. Nick wasted no time in rushing to Judy, cutting her loose of her restraints.

"Nice kick" he said as he slashed at the last rope on her leg.

"Nice setup" was all she could say as she leapt out of the chair. They wasted no time hugging, kissing, or anything of the sort. Knowing that it locked from the outside, they rushed for the door, all too aware of the angry wolf that had gotten up. Even with a broken nose, Kadin was still able bigger, stronger and faster than both of them. Closing the distance between his target almost instantly, Nick yelped as his large jaws clamped around his back leg. He hit the ground hard, the knife flying from his grasp. He tried to turn to face the large mammal, but the angle was awkward. Judy rushed to Nick's aid, trying to get the bastard off of him. She kicked, scratched, and bit at his face as best she could. Kadin held on tight, his vice like bite causing Nick to whine in agony. The black wolf got both paws around Nick's waist, and relished in the feeling of opening up his skin. Canine claws weren't as long or sharp as a felines, but they were painful. Judy continued to fight him, growing desperate at the sight of how much blood was flowing from her mates leg. Growling in a very un-rabbit like manner, she ran to the corner where the knife had slid. She picked it up and gripped it as if Nick's life depended on it. With the comforting presence of a weapon in her hands, she leapt onto Kadins back. She had never killed a mammal before. That being said, with Nick's life in danger, she didn't hesitate to take her first. Judy brought the knife down directly into the center of the Wolf's back. The knife went through muscle and hit bone. Kadin finally let go, gasping as his body went into shock. Judy wasn't done yet. Undeterred, she screamed and slammed the weight of her entire body on it with both paws on the handle. There was a satisfying crunch as the blade was really driven home, buried in flesh up to the handle. Kadin screamed and rolled over violently, flinging Judy off his back. She stuck the landing, and crouched into a fighting stance. After seeing the shape her aggressor was in, she relaxed. He wasn't going anywhere.

"I'll...I'll fucking kill you" Kadin wheezed. He slowly got onto his knees. With monumental effort, he stood. Only to collapse onto his knees again. Judy just watched as she walked to Nick, feeling no empathy for the creature in front of her.

"You killed her, you bitch. You're mine" he was now laying on his stomach, clawing his way towards her. He certainly didn't look as scary as he thought he did.

"I didn't kill anybody" She paused "Except you" she crouched down next Nick and shook him. With a bolt of fear, she checked his pulse. It was slow and steady. He was passed out. Either from blood loss or the pain. Her training kicked in immediately.

"Oh but you did. Her name was Krista." he coughed, and a spray of red was visible on the floor. His breathing sounded wet. His chest cavity was most definitely filling with blood. Judy, meanwhile, was removing Nicks belt. Hastily, she wrapped it around his leg. With effort, she managed to twist the buckle until she couldn't tighten it any more. With Nick no longer losing blood, she breathed a sigh of relief. Exhausted, she sat next to her mate, watching the creature in front of her die.

"Speciesism has always been rooted deep in Zootopia. You just gave them an excuse" It was becoming increasingly difficult for the Wolf to breathe. With monumental effort, he lifted his head and looked his killer in the eyes.

"Hundreds of predators were killed in hate crimes. Hundreds, including my wife" He glared at Judy with bloodshot eyes . "Because of _you"_ With that, his head sank to the floor.

"I'm sorry" was the last thing Kadin heard.

With Kadin dead, Judy finally relaxed. Relishing the feeling of relief, she leaned into Nick. She moved to grab is radio. It was at this point the rabbit realized two things. First, the room was dead silent. Save for the sound of her own breathing. Second, the Fox she was leaning up against was being extremely still. Her heart dropped to her stomach.

Nick wasn't breathing


End file.
